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Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) Looking to lose that spare tire? Ideal weight 200+? Frustrated being a large cyclist in a sport geared for the ultra-light? Learn about the bikes and parts that can take the abuse of a heavier cyclist, how to keep your body going while losing the weight, and get support from others who've been successful.

Again

Old 11-28-14, 04:09 AM
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Again

Hi Everybody,
It has been almost a year since my last post. I have failed with my previous attempts to keep a lifestyle change. I can start it, but I can not keep it going. I am going to change that now. I am determined to stick with it this time.

I am at my heaviest weight. 280lbs. Have high BP and cholesterol. Next month I turn 50. So I need to start a new healthy lifestyle. I would appreciate all of your support.

I am getting a new bike in a week and plan to ride everyday. Will start my new lifestyle on Dec. 1st. Not waiting for the new year resolutions. I am happy to be back here and look forward to knowing all of you again. Thanks.
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Old 11-28-14, 04:41 AM
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Glad to see you posting "Again"!!!

I'm right there with you... i do really good for 6 months, then some event knocks me off track and I lose all my motivation... it can take me years to try "again"! I actually just returned here myself in September! And i too was at my heaviest!!!

I am bound and determined to make my lifestyle changes permanent this time!!! Here are some things i'm doing to make sure i succeed...

1) Monitor my food intake. I use myfitnesspal.com to track all my food. I try to do the very best i can at logging my food. Make me more aware of some of the bad choices i was making! Logging my food has really help me stay the course!

2) Build a support network! This time around i built a support network of family, friends and even co-workers! It has made a HUGE difference this time! Especially my co-workers who keep me "honest" during the day! I have a desk job, so snack on chips all day long had become a terrible habit! Now my co-workers will question me if i head to the vending machine! LOL!

3) Have achievable goals! This time around i started a spreadsheet where i can keep all my data, goals and achievements! I also have committed to some long distance rides next summer, and i know i need to stay on track if i plan on doing those rides!

4) Forgive yourself for slip ups and move on as quickly as possible! Before i would slip up, get depressed over it and then mess up even more! This time around if i slip up one day, i don't dwell on it! Yep, i blew it yesterday but today is a new day!

Probably the biggest thing for me this time though is the support network! And being here is part of that network!!!

And this is coming from a 51 year old... so i'm really right there with you!
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Old 11-28-14, 07:52 AM
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Welcome back. We all struggle but with the support on these forums I have been able to find my way back to the healthy path.
You have many wonderful friends here.

Charlie
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Old 11-28-14, 09:13 AM
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Welcome back. Another 50 y.o. here. You'll find this a very supportive group packed with plenty of motivation.

The path to a new healthy me continues to be finding motivators and committing to measurable goals. I started small and continue to set more challenging goals along the way. In order to achieve goals I have to improve diet, drop weight, and get up off the couch.

Looking forward to reading about your progress and of course the obligatory pictures and report on the new bike.

Last edited by 1242Vintage; 11-28-14 at 09:50 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 11-28-14, 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by scrming
Glad to see you posting "Again"!!!

I'm right there with you... i do really good for 6 months, then some event knocks me off track and I lose all my motivation... it can take me years to try "again"! I actually just returned here myself in September! And i too was at my heaviest!!!

I am bound and determined to make my lifestyle changes permanent this time!!! Here are some things i'm doing to make sure i succeed...

1) Monitor my food intake. I use myfitnesspal.com to track all my food. I try to do the very best i can at logging my food. Make me more aware of some of the bad choices i was making! Logging my food has really help me stay the course!

2) Build a support network! This time around i built a support network of family, friends and even co-workers! It has made a HUGE difference this time! Especially my co-workers who keep me "honest" during the day! I have a desk job, so snack on chips all day long had become a terrible habit! Now my co-workers will question me if i head to the vending machine! LOL!

3) Have achievable goals! This time around i started a spreadsheet where i can keep all my data, goals and achievements! I also have committed to some long distance rides next summer, and i know i need to stay on track if i plan on doing those rides!

4) Forgive yourself for slip ups and move on as quickly as possible! Before i would slip up, get depressed over it and then mess up even more! This time around if i slip up one day, i don't dwell on it! Yep, i blew it yesterday but today is a new day!

Probably the biggest thing for me this time though is the support network! And being here is part of that network!!!

And this is coming from a 51 year old... so i'm really right there with you!
This is some great advice right here... ^^
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Old 11-28-14, 12:16 PM
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The one thing that I would add to all the good advice you have received is--
Develop a meal plan, Every morning write down what you will eat and how much you will eat for that day. Then tell a trusted friend your daily plan and stay accountable to him(her). I have found that if I work a food plan that I will loose weight. Jay
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Old 11-28-14, 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted by scrming
Glad to see you posting "Again"!!!

I'm right there with you... i do really good for 6 months, then some event knocks me off track and I lose all my motivation... it can take me years to try "again"! I actually just returned here myself in September! And i too was at my heaviest!!!

I am bound and determined to make my lifestyle changes permanent this time!!! Here are some things i'm doing to make sure i succeed...

1) Monitor my food intake. I use myfitnesspal.com to track all my food. I try to do the very best i can at logging my food. Make me more aware of some of the bad choices i was making! Logging my food has really help me stay the course!

2) Build a support network! This time around i built a support network of family, friends and even co-workers! It has made a HUGE difference this time! Especially my co-workers who keep me "honest" during the day! I have a desk job, so snack on chips all day long had become a terrible habit! Now my co-workers will question me if i head to the vending machine! LOL!

3) Have achievable goals! This time around i started a spreadsheet where i can keep all my data, goals and achievements! I also have committed to some long distance rides next summer, and i know i need to stay on track if i plan on doing those rides!

4) Forgive yourself for slip ups and move on as quickly as possible! Before i would slip up, get depressed over it and then mess up even more! This time around if i slip up one day, i don't dwell on it! Yep, i blew it yesterday but today is a new day!

Probably the biggest thing for me this time though is the support network! And being here is part of that network!!!

And this is coming from a 51 year old... so i'm really right there with you!
Thank You for your great reply! I just did a post on which bike to get. Thanks. I do need support.
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Old 11-28-14, 04:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Ursa Minor
Welcome back. We all struggle but with the support on these forums I have been able to find my way back to the healthy path.
You have many wonderful friends here.
Charlie
Thanks.
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Old 11-28-14, 04:51 PM
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Originally Posted by 1242Vintage
Welcome back. Another 50 y.o. here. You'll find this a very supportive group packed with plenty of motivation.

The path to a new healthy me continues to be finding motivators and committing to measurable goals. I started small and continue to set more challenging goals along the way. In order to achieve goals I have to improve diet, drop weight, and get up off the couch.

Looking forward to reading about your progress and of course the obligatory pictures and report on the new bike.
Thank you for your reply.
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Old 11-28-14, 04:56 PM
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Thanks a lot.
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Old 11-28-14, 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by dsljay
The one thing that I would add to all the good advice you have received is--
Develop a meal plan, Every morning write down what you will eat and how much you will eat for that day. Then tell a trusted friend your daily plan and stay accountable to him(her). I have found that if I work a food plan that I will loose weight. Jay
Thanks.
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Old 11-28-14, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by scrming
1) Monitor my food intake. I use myfitnesspal.com to track all my food. I try to do the very best i can at logging my food. Make me more aware of some of the bad choices i was making! Logging my food has really help me stay the course!
4) Forgive yourself for slip ups and move on as quickly as possible! Before i would slip up, get depressed over it and then mess up even more! This time around if i slip up one day, i don't dwell on it! Yep, i blew it yesterday but today is a new day!
I've lost 55lbs of weight and have kept it off for the better part of six years. You've listed 2 of the 3 things that I think were critical to my success.

The most important thing for me was your #4 . Especially around the holidays it's very easy to end up missing your calorie or exercise targets for several days in a row. Guess what? It doesn't make a huge difference! Just get back on your program as soon as you can and keep working toward your goal. Chances are that you won't gain much, if any, weight and you won't lose much, if any, fitness. You can't take that as a license to go crazy, of course, but a slip-up here or there isn't the end of the world. Heck, sometimes taking a week off from exercise or eating

BTW, the third thing on my list was "measuring progress" by which I mean stepping on a scale and looking at myself in a mirror regularly. I don't get too hung up on weight loss or day-to-day weight fluctuations but I do want to make sure that the overall trend is in the right direction. I found this especially useful when transitioning from losing weight to maintaining weight. When I hit my goal weight for the first time, I completely stopped counting calories, stopped stepping on the scale, etc. and gained back 10lbs over the next couple of months. These days, I still step on the scale a couple of times/week and keep an eye on what I eat (though I no longer log everything).
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Old 11-29-14, 05:19 AM
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Originally Posted by sstorkel
I've lost 55lbs of weight and have kept it off for the better part of six years. You've listed 2 of the 3 things that I think were critical to my success.

The most important thing for me was your #4 . Especially around the holidays it's very easy to end up missing your calorie or exercise targets for several days in a row. Guess what? It doesn't make a huge difference! Just get back on your program as soon as you can and keep working toward your goal. Chances are that you won't gain much, if any, weight and you won't lose much, if any, fitness. You can't take that as a license to go crazy, of course, but a slip-up here or there isn't the end of the world. Heck, sometimes taking a week off from exercise or eating

BTW, the third thing on my list was "measuring progress" by which I mean stepping on a scale and looking at myself in a mirror regularly. I don't get too hung up on weight loss or day-to-day weight fluctuations but I do want to make sure that the overall trend is in the right direction. I found this especially useful when transitioning from losing weight to maintaining weight. When I hit my goal weight for the first time, I completely stopped counting calories, stopped stepping on the scale, etc. and gained back 10lbs over the next couple of months. These days, I still step on the scale a couple of times/week and keep an eye on what I eat (though I no longer log everything).
Great advice on the measuring! I'm obsessive about getting on the scale... it's probably a bad thing that i check my weight so much... I simply have to weigh myself every morning... i can't help it... LOL!
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Old 11-29-14, 08:26 AM
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Soon to be 50 myself :-).

I weight every day, but enter it into an excel spreadsheet and calculate a 7 day average, less maddening that way, I use the 7 day average for updating myfitnesspal. I also throw in a waist measurement now and then, and a blood pressure, and sometimes a fasting glucose reading.

I log every day, and log everything, and always meet my goal so far for 213 days. had hoped to slip under 200 by Dec 1 my birthday, not looking good for that, close maybe, within a couple lbs.

Bill
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Old 11-29-14, 12:26 PM
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Originally Posted by scrming
Great advice on the measuring! I'm obsessive about getting on the scale... it's probably a bad thing that i check my weight so much... I simply have to weigh myself every morning... i can't help it... LOL!
I think it's important not to be too obsessive about weighing yourself. The scale is just one number and it's one that's guaranteed to change from day to day; that's just a fact of life. My weight has been pretty steady for the entire season, but I'm still getting ready to buy new smaller pants for the 2nd or 3rd time. Why? Quite a bit less fat around the waist and a bit more muscle everywhere thanks to lots of training!
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Old 11-30-14, 10:14 AM
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Without repeating too much of what's already been said, let me join the chorus for MyFitnessPal (MFP). It's comprehensive, easy to use, helps you connect with lots of other folks in the same boat as you, and, best of all, free.

The daily weight fluctuations made me nuts, too, so I've just started using another app that has the slightly goofy name Happy Scale. It's a daily weight recording app that shows you a leveled weight trend based on 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day averages. I was trying to program an Excel sheet to give me 7-day rolling averages but gave up and started using this. I plan to use it daily then enter the 7 day average once a week into MFP. This, btw, is an iOS app. No idea if it's available on other platforms.

My last bit of advice: don't give up. What's done is done and no longer matters. All you need to think about is today and tomorrow.

Last edited by bransom; 11-30-14 at 10:16 AM. Reason: Added line about iOS
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Old 11-30-14, 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by bransom
The daily weight fluctuations made me nuts, too, so I've just started using another app that has the slightly goofy name Happy Scale. It's a daily weight recording app that shows you a leveled weight trend based on 7-day, 30-day, and 90-day averages. I was trying to program an Excel sheet to give me 7-day rolling averages but gave up and started using this. I plan to use it daily then enter the 7 day average once a week into MFP. This, btw, is an iOS app. No idea if it's available on other platforms.
Alternatives are Libra (Android), trendweight.com (website, so any platform), and True Weight (iOS).
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Old 11-30-14, 06:26 PM
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I swear I could have wrote this. You can do this!
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Old 12-01-14, 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by cohophysh
I swear I could have wrote this. You can do this!
Thank You.
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Old 12-01-14, 05:10 PM
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At 50 it lit a fire under me also, I had dropped 60# between superbowl and July, then I started going the other way. Today I also got back at it again, I have gained almost 40# back and have to get that off before cycling season comes around.

Keep at it, talking to others who have been there is a great way to start.
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Old 12-01-14, 06:14 PM
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Keep on keep'n on...
Read this, it may help.
T Nation | The Lessons of Peyton Manning
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Old 12-01-14, 08:14 PM
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Second winter that a medical issue got in the way of riding.

Hoping this heals up and I have the fortitude to face the cold long enough to get acclimated.
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Old 12-05-14, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by NashNathan
Thanks a lot.
How have the first 5 days gone?
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Old 12-05-14, 11:30 AM
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I'm in the same boat, although I am only a mere 42 years old I have yo-yo'd over the past year. This past week my wife and I battened down the hatches and began the battle against our bellies. We use the app called Fat Secret to track our weight and food. We have begun cycling in the 80-90 cadence range along with HIIT training upwards of 5 days a week (need to rest muscles too). In the first week I am down 3 lbs, a nice steady decline would be nice. I weighed in at 218 today, doesn't sound like much, but I am only 5'6" tall.

Get on it and don't be afraid to be unmotivated occasionally, we're all not robots, look at the big picture. We plan our meals out a week in advance so that we know what we will be eating. We also plan a "cheat meal". One where we don't go overboard, but we don't count the calories. We find that once we are in the less eating mode we can't actually eat much.
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Old 12-05-14, 11:33 AM
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I don't know much about weight loss (I have been as heavy as 280 and am currently about 240, but the lifestyle changes that lead to this happened kind of organically).

But I do have some advice about motivating yourself to ride - find opportunities to work short rides into your daily routine - zip to the store to pick up bread and milk, or to the beer store if you were going there anyways. Even if your weight stays the same for a while, regular exercise, even a little bit, will help with the other things like BP and cholesterol, as well as improving your outlook, self esteem, and mood.
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